Note: May be a tad spoilerific. This takes place in volume 3. I go by the manga, not the anime.

Disclaimer: I definitely do not own Negima, Ken Akamatsu does.

At a Closer Distance

Primus

I had stayed my distance. In places where her innocent stare never reached. Where I belonged. I hid in the darkness so not to disturb her light. I fear it. Times whenever her eyes strayed near I feared that we would get too close.

Not that it really matters to the outside of me. Emotionless, always. I keep a safeguard around the core of my emotions so they wouldn't dare to escape and show themselves, pointing out my weakness. I shouldn't get too close to her, not only for her safety, but for the sake of my own 'protection'. Around her, my bulwark threatens to dissolve to nothing, leaving me vulnerable to emotion. I don't want her to see me like that. If she got close enough to actually see that, I feel as if the kanji of 'failure' would be tattooed on my skin with an invisible poison.

I can't let that happen. I will and always will protect her in the shadows. I will never let the monstrous side of me show. She'll hate me forever. She'd never lo-…want a monster to protect her and what am I to do against her will?

Now there are times when I strive to go against my mantra. Sometime I want to break my rules and care for her at a very close distance where I can touch her, hold her hand, smell of her hair that had a scent of a forbidden fruit to me, because I must always remember to stay in these shadows and fight these urges. Right now as I ponder this my wall of emotions cracks, I feel the need to cry pitifully. I care for her so much.

A single white feather falls in front of me and I sober from the temporary feeling of need. I can't let that monster near her, I swear. It's better for her to forget that I exist rather than her to despise me. It's better off that way. She looks very happy. She's smiling and taking with an excited manner to the redhead I know as well. That's evidence. Evidence that she doesn't need me to be close. We never even needed to meet. She's happy and as long as I keep my distance she's safe, that's all that matters.

I unsheathe my sword after I felt a feeling of a magic presence nearby. Upon feeling a familiar aura in the presence I sheathe it back seconds afterward. The approaching figure smiles for a moment at my action.

"That was quick. I'm impressed" a feminine voice said to me as she stopped to stand beside me.

"Tatsumiya-san" I said back, recognizing the dark-skinned miko "Is there something you need?" I asked. I can't help but think that sounded a bit rude to say to a companion, but I know that she didn't really care.

She looks over to the side to glance at my Ojou-sama, "She is loved isn't she?" I find this 'question' odd. Mana never asked or even said anything that included the word 'love' before. What is her purpose for asking such a question that she would never use the knowledge of the answer in the future? Or is it that I just don't like what she just said?

I look over to join her gaze at the girl. After a moment I said, "Of course she is. Her relatives care for her greatly and she has plenty of friends that love her all the same. Why would you ask? You already knew beforehand" I see that Ojou-sama was moving at a fairly normal pace toward the dorms so I moved as well. Of course staying in the darkness as I followed. Mana was trailing close behind me. We both stopped once I knew Ojou-sama entered her dorm room. I turned to the miko.

Mana was gazing up at the moonlit sky looking intrigued, "I wonder how you shield her when the sun sets?" she said. Why does she seem so curious about my protecting Ojou-sama suddenly? Have I done something earlier to trigger her statements?

Deciding to respond, I say, "When I feel unease, I send 'Little Setsuna' to check up on her" I answer her. I really begin to wonder what brought her on to approach me. For once the rifle expert had begun to unsettle me.

Mana merely smirked, "Oh that cute thing" she said. Back when we both occasionally exterminated monsters together we would sometimes get separated. When faced with multiple difficult monsters I would send 'Little Setsuna' to request Mana for assistance. I didn't do this often, but Mana proved to be excellent help. She always said she would bill me afterward as a joke.

We both began walking around the corner of a building so as most of the students wouldn't see us through their dorm windows. I notice Mana pick up something out of the corner of my eye. I stop and face her. The object she picked up was her rifle. "What are you doing with that?" I ask her. I also notice that her uniform jacket looked to be weighed down by what I assumed was her handguns.

I swore I saw an excited glint in her eye, "A few slipped through the barrier and seeing as you were nearby I thought it would be nice if you had joined me. How about it, for old time's sake?" she offered. So she approached me to invite me to fight along with her? That's fine. I'm slightly sure that Ojou-sama will be okay and it had been a while…

I agreed and nodded. She smiled, "Alright" she started sprinting off toward the forest. I followed closely from behind, seeing as I didn't know where we were headed. We ran through brush and other things in the forest for a while. When I thought I might tire, the image of those monsters getting near Ojou-sama crossed my mind. I sped up, but I didn't go as far as to surpass Mana, there was no need for me to get lost.

Finally, she stopped. She waited a moment to catch her breath and then began to pace toward a small clearing. She seemed baffled, "I could've sworn…" she whispered.

I did not sense any monsters around, but I felt a different energy to the right of the clearing. I walked there sword in hand. What I found was not exactly what I was expecting.

"Ah, first Negi-bozu, now you two. Whose next? My fellow Baka Rangers, perhaps?" Seat No. 20 Nagase Kaede said amusedly while bathing in a barrel nearby, her cat-like eyes looking at Mana and me. I had heard that she did special training somewhere on the weekend, but I didn't know it was here.

Mana came over as well, "Kaede-san, I'm sorry to disturb you like this" she apologized. I bowed as if in apology too.

"It's all right" Kaede reassured us. She lifted herself out of the barrel and then proceeded to dry herself. Even though I myself bathed with everyone else at the bath hall regularly, I turned my head to give her a bit of privacy.

Her head also turned, Mana asked, "Kaede-san, while you were here did you encounter anything 'strange'?" We both turned to her once we knew she was fully clothed.

Kaede went 'Hmm' and other thinking noises like that before answering, "If you're talking about those weird scaly things, I took care of them. They didn't seem to like fishing too much" she stated, scratching the back of her head.

Both Mana and I sweatdropped, but our faces remained emotionless. Mana then went over to stand and talk quietly to Kaede about another manner, I found myself disinterested to know of the topic.

I stare up at the starry sky above me. The sight of the white-sand moon catches my eye and I think back not too long ago when it was full in all its illuminating glory. I had become curious when a rumor emerged that there was a 'vampire' on Sakura Street when seat No. 16 Sasaki Makie was turned in to the school infirmary. Both Mana and I looked into it briefly, but did not do or say anything about it afterward. I guess we lost interest.

The existence of vampires is not hard for me to fathom. I figure that the idea of vampires doesn't seem too ridiculous when compared to girls with w-

I turn and act on instinct upon feeling a presence beside me. I find the pointed end of my sword an inch from my companion's throat. Mana took a step back; I thought I saw a look of shock on her face for a split second. I sheathe my sword back with embarrassment.

"I apologize" I said. I feel stupid suddenly. I should've known if it was Mana or not. That was the second time today. Is there something wrong with me?

Mana put a hand on her hip with a smirk, "Is that your new way to greet people now? I guess I should be alert next time I want to say 'hi'."

I blush at her remark, an uncharacteristic thing for me to do around Mana. Normally I did nothing to greet her. Not even a simple bow or nod like I did with most people. I just simply think it's unnecessary to greet Mana.

She pointed her thumb back, "Shall we go?" she suggested. I nod and bow once more to Kaede, who is waving back with a smile. We turn and head back to the school.

Note: Notice how my writing gets worse and worse as it goes on? I tend to rush things a lot.

Most of the characters here seem to be OOC, don't they? Especially Mana. Like I said before, manga not anime. In the anime, Mana is often seen hanging around Setsuna. I think the first time they interact with each other is vol. 6.

As for pairings: For a very, very brief moment I thought about having a Setsuna/Mana pairing. Then I smacked myself and decided to stick with Setsuna/Konoka. I'm thinking about having Yue/Kaede, but I don't know how that would work. I really shouldn't be revealing pairings, but I don't care anymore. If you have an idea for a pairing, tell me.

Oh and feel free to tell me the mistakes I made, I'm sure there are a lot.